Friday, August 14, 2009

In reviewing the comments that have come in so far, I’ve noticed that a few people would like to comment on specific park projects that are underway. The City has several active projects at this time. Each is described in more detail at the Park Planning and Development page on the City’s website.

If you have a comment about a current park development project, the best place to make that comment is by phone or e-mail to the staff working on that project. Using the link above, you can find the appropriate contact information and go straight to the source to get your questions answered and provide your opinion.

The other significant benefit of contacting the project manager is that they can collect your contact information and make sure that you are included on the mailing list for updates on that project as it progresses over time. We are not able to do that with blog comments since there is no contact information attached.

So again, project specific comments are best addressed to that project. That said, if using this blog is a convenient way for you to comment on a project other than the Parks & Open Space System Plan, feel free to e-mail me directly at cparker@bellevuewa.gov or use this comment box below. Once your comment is submitted, I will forward it to the appropriate person.

For those who have already made park project comments that were attached to other posts, I’ve grouped those comments here and they have also been forwarded to the appropriate project manager.

4 comments:

lorikeyes64 has left a new comment on your post "What should we talk about?":

I would like to see the Downtown Bellevue Park dedicate some space to off-leash dogs. As a small dog owner new to Bellevue, I find it hard to locate areas nearby to let my dog run and play. There is a growing group of small dog owners that congregate in the evenings at the Downtown Park. It is a wonderful place to meet new people, get to know your neighbors and feel part of a community. We often let the dogs off their leashes so that they can get some exercise. We realize this is breaking the leash law, but I believe the law is intended to protect people and in most cases is a good one, in this case seems unnessessary. Most of the dogs in our group are under 20 lbs and get along superbly and generally stay in our area. I am unaware of any complaints, although once in a while the park rangers ask us to leash the dogs which we do compliantly. Lately we have been harrassed by the police, threatening to arrest us if we don't leave the park. (This happened yesterday as a matter of fact.) It was almost humorous, being yelled at by an officer as if we were hardened criminals, not a peaceful group with chihuahuas running around. We know we are not in the right, but it is really hard to watch everyone else have their space in the park - volleyball players, soccer, organized frisbee games, even a wedding yesterday, but we were forced to leave even though our dogs had their leashes on within seconds and not one person was protesting. We don't want any trouble, just a place where our dogs can forget they are city dwellers for a couple of hours!

Blogalot has left a new comment on your post "What should we talk about?":

I'd like to voice my concern that the nice little Newport Hills neighborhood park is slated to become a busy regional destination for soccer teams by virtue of its grass being torn out and replaced with artificial turf, which is arguably medically unsafe (chemicals, overheating, skin abrasions), unsightly, and requires unreasonable restrictions on users (no bikes, no beverages, no dogs, etc etc - see Robinswood park for a giant list of rules)! Newport Hills does not need this amenity for special interests.

robin has left a new comment on your post "Welcome Part I – About this Blog":

Tuesday August 11, 2009.

I have lived in Lochleven since 1966; attended Bellevue High School, graduating in 1969. We like our neighborhood in Lochleven; we don't look for big upgrades or development as we like the bucolic nature of the Lochleven neighborhood. Lochleven is the first neighborhood established in Bellevue, and we like the historic and small-time feel of the green quiet beauty of the area.

It would seem that that is not allowed in Bellevue; we are in the midst of a proposed redevelopment and invasion of our neighborhood and lifestyle. The planned development of our area by the City of Bellevue will be tearing apart and destroying our neighborhood, trees, greenery, quiet, and general way of life. It is very distressing and disquieting to be the target of such callous disregard of what we want and how we are living. Our neighborhood will be ripped apart by an ambitious and expensive redevelopment with added cement, traffic, noise, glare, and pollution.

When the economy is in such dire straits, and the unemployment outlook is bleak, how can the City of Bellevue be squandering so much money? and where does the money come from? Why do we have to have R-65 development? when the other Bellevue neighborhoods don't have such high buildings? Could it be that the City of Bellevue gets paid off by the developers and makes its money from the developers? but never mind the citizens of Bellevue...we pay high taxes...where is our representation? We have spent the last year or two talking to the City of Bellevue, attending meetings, working within the process set up by the City of Bellevue for this proposed invasion into our quiet Lochleven neighborhood, and we were completely ignored, completely.

We didn't want buildings in the park...the hybrid alternative plan has buildings in the park

We didn't want a raised pier jutting out into the bay disrupting homes across the way, and apartments on this side of the bay...that raised pier is jutting out blocking views and looking into people's kitchens and living rooms; in the hybrid plan there is a raised pier.

We didn't need more and higher development with more traffic, noise, and pollution...there is a R-65 redevelopment granted to a developer who paid off the City of Bellevue,

And the list goes on. We have been badly represented by our City, the officials, the staff, and City Council. I am very disappointed.

We wanted a park; a green oasis with 2 swimming beaches with space to relax and walk. We are not getting that; we are getting an expensive conglomeration of glob with noise, traffic, pollution, cement, parking lots, and development.

I have lived in Europe for many years and they have the common sense, sophistication, and experience to cultivate beautiful, serene, flower-filled parks with fountains, walkways, and quiet areas to sit to relax.

We expected better from this long process; we don't see any other parks in Bellevue that have such cement, traffic, noise, and pollution. Why in Meydenbauer Bay?

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The comments posted here do not reflect the opinions of the city, its employees or its elected officials. The city does not control or warrant the accuracy or reliability of any information contained in submitted comments. These comments do not constitute legal or official notice or comment to the City of Bellevue or any of its officials or employees for any purpose. Readers who wish to request public records or enter comments as part of a project's public process must submit such requests or comments separate from this forum.